Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Amélie was re-released in cinemas early this year by Curzon Film, giving it a chance to ensnare a whole new audience. It’s strange to think that Amélie was rejected by the Cannes Film Festival, despite director Jean-Pierre Jeunet having a prior connection with The City of Lost Children, which opened the festival in 1995. There was also overwhelming support for the film from audiences, earning it near-universal praise. This rejection caused quite a stir, but nevertheless, Amélie has become synonymous with French cinema as well as breaking the barrier between arthouse and mainstream audiences. What better time to celebrate the film’s anniversary with a new exquisite limited edition home entertainment release, while simultaneously commemorating Curzon’s 50th anniversary?
Having lived a lonely childhood, Amélie moves to Paris where she works as a waitress in a local Montmartre cafe. After discovering a long-forgotten treasure trove of memories belonging to a young boy in the 1950s, Amélie decides to find the owner and reunite them with their belongings. Along the way, she befriends an artist neighbour, learns more about her landlady’s past, tries to convince her reclusive father to travel, and meets Nino, a photo booth collagist who shares her oddball sensibilities. She quickly falls in love with him, but will she admit this to herself?
This is the film that put Audrey Tautou on the map, introducing her to an international audience. She fully embodies this character, from her melancholic tendencies to her optimistic quests to bring joy to her fellow neighbours and co-workers (even if it’s misguided at times). Her quirks, including skimming stones in the canal to relax, seem utterly believable, and we want her to succeed, especially when she meets Mathieu Kassovitz’s Nino. He is equally enjoyable to watch with his strange habits of collecting discarded photos and always seems to be carrying a plastic bag wherever he goes. The romance is there in the most bizarre way. But the film would not be what it is without the cast of characters, and we get an insight into their likes and dislikes. Some characters only appear for one or two scenes, but all make an impression. The art of the side character: an art sorely missed today.
Blending comedic and sometimes dramatic moments with the overall romantic and whimsical tone is definitely an art that few can convincingly create. The film marks the first collaboration between Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Guillaume Laurant, each complementing the other. The story is sweet, subtle and never pretentious, with genuine moments of overwhelming joy and painful loneliness. Visually, the film felt unique when it was first released, and there hasn’t been anything quite like it since. The colour palette is muted and bright at the same time, creating a soft atmosphere that makes the streets of Paris seem unrealistically delightful. But for the 122 minutes of the story, it doesn’t matter; this is a world you want to be brought into. Alongside the story and the visual beauty of the film is the soundtrack by Yann Tiersen. With the accordion featuring quite prominently throughout, it’s hard to mistake this soundtrack for any other film.
This Blu-ray release itself is a work of art, keeping the intricate and fabulously detailed poster created by artist Javi Aznarez for the cinematic re-release as its cover. The poster highlights key characters within the story as well as minor moments that illustrate the whimsical nature of the film. Alongside the film, intriguing extras on the disc include interviews with the cast and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, but the set’s physical extras are all nothing short of delightful. Alongside a double-sided poster, stickers and a recipe postcard , there is a board game complete with little gnome characters and dice so you can literally play along while watching the film. The included booklet resembles the book of photos in the film, and even includes these, alongside essays and archive material. There is also a set of polaroids of her father’s globe-trekking gnome. All of these curated items are neatly placed inside a near replica of the box Amélie finds in the film. Curzon has thought of everything a fan of the film would love to see in this release.
Whether you’re curious about the film and have yet to take a walk through Amélie’s neighbourhood or you’ve been waiting to see this masterpiece again, this Blu-ray release is something not to be missed. Take the leap.
Amélie will be released on Limited Edition Blu-ray on 28 September from Curzon Film.
